Anybody tried growing your own?

I used to raise a little tobacco in the garden each year. This year a friend of mine had somebody bring him a pallet of seedlings up from KY. Gave me about half of them. I planted nearly all of them. The dry weather hurt some I could not water, but the ones I did are coming on nicely. Have pulled a pile of bottom leaves and they are drying in the distillery way up high. The humidity and heat must be prefect as they are yellowing nicely. I think when I get them all dried, I will pack them in a barrel and press them to try to make something like Perique, as when I smoke a pipe, it is one of my favorites in a blend. We shall see.

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

I frequently saw small farms in France with tobacco hanging in barns to dry and often wondered if the stuff was just for personal consumption. I don't smoke but would imagine that fresh homegrown leaf has got to be excellent.

"I distrust a man who says 'when.' He's got to be careful not to drink too much, because he's not to be trusted when he does." Sydney Greenstreet

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

Fresh homegrown is almost unsmokeable. I dried mine in the barn for a few weeks. The virginia turned a nice yellow/red and the burley turned a nice rich brown. At just under 3 years sitting in boxes it's starting to be smokeable. I did not try to do any sweat curing or anything other than hanging in the heat and humidity of September/October, mainly because I wanted to try it this way.

"this hobby is supposed to be fun. When it stops being fun, check yourself, because you're doing it wrong." Charles Cowdery

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

Originally Posted by Young Blacksmith

Fresh homegrown is almost unsmokeable.

That's what I have always heard, curing it takes a lot of time and you gotta know what you are doing.
A friend of mine said when he was a kid in KY they would snatch leafs from his buddy's dad's barn and they couldn't smoke it, said it was awful.

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

Re: Anybody tried growing your own?

I would grow the other stuff if I could get it past my old lady.

You can grow a tenth of an acre legally, after that you have to buy an allotment. The government pays farmers NOT to grow tobacco. You would have to buy an allotment from a farmer who is being paid not to grow it I think.

It all boils down to fermentation. It has to ferment or it has so much ammonia in it it will burn your lungs up. It is like smoking dried tree leaves. Very interesting article on Perique tobacco if you google it. They basically grow the stuff, color cure it, then place it in used whiskey barrels and put jacks over it and put pressure to it and let it ferment in its on juice. The result is a strong, leaf that is truffle like in taste and very fruity, but almost unsmokable on its on. But when used in a blend it is amazing. If you ever see a box of American Spirit black label, snap them up. They have like 5 percent in them. They are good and strong flavored, taste like chocolate to me. I quit my pack and a half a day habit 5 years ago, but I slip every now and then with a pack of those.